


First Meeting

by celticmoonbeam



Series: The Abbot [1]
Category: Secret of Kells (2009)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-28
Updated: 2016-06-28
Packaged: 2018-07-18 21:27:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7331245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celticmoonbeam/pseuds/celticmoonbeam
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Short and sweet. Abbot Cellach meets his new baby nephew for the first time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	First Meeting

“I was wondering when you would appear,” Ceather says as I step through the doorway. She’s still resting in bed, a little bundle cradled in her arms.

“I came as soon as I got word,” I tell her.

“You’ve just missed Bronach, I sent him for more water.” A small loss. My brother-in-law and I aren’t quite on the best of terms. Oh, he treats my sister well enough, but we are very different men, he and I.

Ceather tilts the bundle so I catch a glimpse of a tiny little face, haloed by hair as bright red as her own. He’s sleeping now, eyelids fluttering in his first dreams. He’s so small… He would easily fit in the palm of my hand.

“I’ve named him Brendan,” she says. 

Brendan… our younger brother’s name. He didn’t live to see his second birthday. “Mother would have liked that.”

“Would you like to hold him?” Ceather asks.

My eyes widen. “Oh… er… Well, I wouldn’t want to disturb him.”

“He won’t bite you, you know,” Ceather says. “Little tyke doesn’t have any teeth yet.”

I never could argue with my sister. “All right.” I stretch my hands out awkwardly.

Ceather laughs. “All right… So, make sure you support his little head… and be gentle, don’t wake him.” She eases Brendan into my arms. I look down at him for a moment, terrified that he’ll wake or scream or fall somehow. Ceather laughs harder, softly so she doesn’t disturb the baby’s rest. “You’re doing fine! Relax a bit. You’re stiff as a board.”

Little Brendan stirs slightly, turning his head against my chest. He doesn’t wake.

Ceather is watching me expectantly.

“He’s beautiful, Ceather,” I say. “He has a lot of his mother in him.”

“A fair bit of his father, too,” Ceather says. “And even a dash of his Uncle Cellach.”

I smile. “I don’t think I was ever this small.”

“Oh, I think even you were, once upon a time.” She leans forward. “Touch his cheek… Baby skin is so soft.”

I dare to stroke his cheek with one finger. Brendan stirs again. This time his little eyes open. He looks straight up at me with sky blue eyes that match his mother’s. I remember the day my mother placed Ceather into my arms. I wasn’t so nervous then as I am now. “This is your baby sister,” Mother said. “She’s so little and so new to the world… She will need you to protect her.” I always have.

Mother isn’t here now to repeat her words. But looking down into Brendan’s wide innocent eyes, at his helpless tiny form… I know I will protect him too. Because of my vows, he will be the closest thing I have to a son… Well, at least until he’s joined by more brothers and sisters.

Then the wailing starts. I wince and return him to his mother.

“He’s probably just hungry,” Ceather says. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” She coos to her baby. “You like Uncle Cellach, don’t you, Brendan?”

“I don’t think he does, yet,” I say.

“He will,” Ceather says. “He’ll love you. His brave, smart, talented Uncle Cellach… You’ll be one of his heroes.”

I don’t know about that. But maybe I can be one of his teachers. You can get the world’s best education at an Irish monastery, one of the reasons I chose the pathway I did. Perhaps one day I can even teach him to illuminate.


End file.
